Memories are contrary things
by Angustias
Summary: Merlin stared back at Arthur, confusion and a little bit of fear clouding his face, before whispering, "Who are you?" And just like that Arthur's heart dropped straight out of his chest.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Just an idea that wouldn't leave me alone, constructive criticism welcomed.**

**Disclaimer: I wish I owned Merlin.**

Memories are contrary things; if you quit chasing them and turn your back, they often return on their own.

~Stephen King, "Memory"

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It was Gwaine who found Merlin.

Arthur had forgotten his training gloves in the armory so he sent Merlin back to get them while he went ahead to oversee the knights in their warm-up drills. It wasn't until an hour later, when he picked up his sword, that he realized he still didn't have his gloves. Gesturing across the field he yelled for Gwaine to go see what could possibly be taking Merlin so long before making his rounds among the sparring knights.

For all his faults Arthur really was a good teacher, the knights loved and respected him in a way that few kings ever experience. He approached each pair, watching in silence for a few minutes, before moving in and adjusting the tilt of the hips, the set of the shoulders, or the angle of the shield; then he stepped back, nodding in satisfaction at the improvements.

Most of the knights had arrived in Camelot as children, bright-eyed and breathless, ready to fight off dragons and rescue damsels in distress. Arthur had taken them in, put a sword in their hands, and taught them how to fight; by doing that he had earned their unwavering loyalty. But, perhaps even more important than loyalty was the bond that Arthur had developed with this group of men, the connection that he hardly dared name as friendship, even to himself.

Arthur presented a tough face to the world but the knights knew that his insults were, more often than not, a form of compliment. The rarity of Arthur showing true emotion was legendary so the look of panic and pure fear that flashed across his face as Gwaine raced into view shouting, "Come quickly! It's Merlin." was astonishing to those he had known and trained with for years.

Arthur barreled into the armory to find Merlin huddled on his side and bleeding from a gash on his temple. Dropping to his knees he ordered Gwaine to go get Gaius before running practiced hands over his manservant to assess his injuries. Merlin's breathing was shallow but steady, his forehead creased with pain even in unconsciousness. Merlin's left wrist was broken and Arthur laid it on the floor as gently as he could before lifting his manservant's shirt. Dark bruising mottled Merlin's chest and there was a boot-shaped imprint on his lower back; Arthur pressed against Merlin's ribs, sighing in relief when none appeared to be broken.

Just then Gaius bustled onto the scene, wincing in sympathy when he saw the state of his ward. Arthur stood, listing Merlin's injuries before returning to the field to dismiss the knights who were milling about with barely concealed curiosity. Arthur reappeared at the armory door a few minutes later with Percival in tow and instructed the large knight to carry Merlin to Gaius' chambers.

The odd procession attracted a lot of attention as it passed through the castle corridors. Gaius took the lead, robes flapping behind him as he rushed down the hallway, Percival followed, carrying Merlin's limp form like a child, and Arthur brought up the rear, struggling to keep his stoic mask from slipping off his face before they reached the privacy of the physician's chambers.

Inside Gaius' rooms Percival laid Merlin on the patient table and silently took his leave as Arthur and the physician set about cleaning and bandaging Merlin's wounds.

"Will he be alright Gaius?" Arthur asked, allowing a hint of worry to creep into his voice.

"It's hard to tell Sire, we'll know more when he wakes." Gaius replied, "Head wounds are tricky things, he'll need to be watched at all times."

"I'll do it." Arthur volunteered immediately.

"But Sire!" Gaius exclaimed, "You have duties to attend."

"Nothing that can't wait for tomorrow." Arthur said firmly, putting an end to Gaius' protestations.

"Right, then if you'll sit with him I'll go do my rounds." Gaius replied with a slight bow.

Nodding his head in agreement Arthur dragged a chair to the bed and sat, staring at his manservant's pale form. It was so unnatural to see Merlin like this; he was normally a ball of energy, always fidgeting and shifting from one foot to the other, to see him this still was just wrong.

Arthur dropped his head into his hands and sighed, massaging his temples; he wouldn't admit it to anyone, least of all Merlin, but he considered the boy one of his closest friends. Merlin had intrigued Arthur from the beginning and somewhere over the last few years he had wormed his way deep into Arthur's heart. Merlin's cheerful smile lit up a room and the light-hearted banter they shared had helped Arthur get through many a difficult day.

As his thoughts began to drift Arthur remembered the boot print on Merlin's back and suddenly he was livid. Someone had hurt Merlin, _his_ Merlin, and they were going to pay. He was going to get to the bottom of this and when he did he would make sure that no one _ever_ attacked Merlin again. Now if only Merlin would wake up and tell him what had happened…

But Merlin didn't wake up that night, or the next day for that matter, in fact he lay unmoving in Gaius' chambers for three days before he finally opened his eyes. Arthur sat anxiously on the edge of the chair beside Merlin's bed, watching as his friend's eyelids fluttered and soft moans escaped his lips. It took a while but, after what seemed an eternity of waiting, Merlin's sleepy gaze found Arthur's concerned one.

Arthur sank back into the chair with relief before ranting "Do you even know how much trouble you've caused me, Merlin? I send you back to do one simple thing, get my gloves, but you can't even manage _that_ without getting attacked! You are by far the most useless manservant to ever walk the face of the earth. I hope you're happy with yourself; you've been lazing around in this bed for three days, _three days_! It's about time you woke up."

Merlin stared back at Arthur, confusion and a little bit of fear clouding his face, before whispering, "Who are you?"

And just like that Arthur's heart dropped straight out of his chest.

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**I'm considering writing another chapter or two but it's up to you guys. Tell me what you think, do you like the ending or should I write more?**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews! I decided to continue the story but it's looking like it might be longer than I originally thought so bear with me. Unless I'm dying you can count on updates at least once a week. I know this chapter is short but I wanted to get something up quickly for those of you who reviewed and followed so yeah... on to the story!**

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_Merlin stared back at Arthur, confusion and a little bit of fear clouding his face, before whispering, "Who are you?"_

_And just like that Arthur's heart dropped straight out of his chest._

"It's me, Arthur, you big idiot." Arthur replied after a moment of stunned silence, crossing his fingers and praying to everything he could think of that Merlin was just confused, disoriented after being unconscious for so long. It might take a few minutes but eventually Merlin would smile and call him a prat and everything would be back to normal. Arthur's fragile hopes were dashed before they even had a chance to fully form; he was brought back to the present by the panicked note in his servant's voice.

"Where am I?" Merlin asked, swinging his eyes wildly around the room. He tried to get up but collapsed back onto the bed as his injuries made themselves known. "What's wrong with me? I don't understand!" He cried, breath coming in sharp gasps far too close together.

"Calm down Merlin, you have to calm down!" Arthur instructed, slightly panicked himself. He reached out to reassure Merlin only to have the boy flinch back violently, falling off the bed in his haste to get away from Arthur's hands. Merlin lay panting on the ground for a minute before his eyes rolled up into his head and his body relaxed, unconscious, against the ground.

Jumping out of his chair Arthur ran down the hallway as fast as he could, colliding with a startled servant as he rounded the corner. "Go get Gaius, quickly!" He commanded as the girl picked herself up off the ground. "Tell him it's an emergency!"

"Yes Sire." The girl replied with a low bow before hurrying off in the opposite direction.

Arthur turned on his heel, racing back to Gaius' chambers, hoping that Merlin had not woken again in his absence. He stopped just outside the door, smoothing his hair down and struggling to control his rapid breathing, and then quietly entered the room.

Merlin was still on the floor where he had fallen so Arthur moved him back to the bed, then paced the length of the small room until Gaius arrived. As soon as Gaius entered some of the tension left Arthur's shoulders, "He woke up while you were gone and had a panic attack."

Gaius moved swiftly to the bed, placing his hand on Merlin's forehead. "He doesn't appear to have a fever and his pulse is normal, it's probably nothing to worry about."

"Gaius…" Arthur began hesitantly, "he didn't recognize me."

The blood drained from Gaius' face as he realized the implications of Arthur's statement. "I see." Came the strained reply.

"Gaius," Arthur was almost pleading now, "he'll be okay won't he? His memories will return and he'll be good as new, right?"

"I… I don't know, Sire." Gaius said, hesitating slightly, "I've read about cases where… but then sometimes it takes months or even years… It's best not to think about it, Sire. If anyone can get through this, Merlin can."

They stared down at the pale form on the bed, each lost in their own thoughts but united in concern for the boy. Making up his mind Arthur walked to the door, "I want to be here Gaius, you know how much I do, but… Merlin was scared of me, I can't put him through that again." Arthur said, hurt and guilt warring for prominence in his blue eyes. "I think it's best for everyone if I stay away until he's ready to see me."

"I will keep you updated on his progress, Sire." Gaius replied, watching Arthur turn and stride from the room, closing the door softly behind him.

As soon as Arthur left Gaius hit the books, searching desperately for anything that would help him cure Merlin. If Merlin didn't remember Arthur then he wouldn't remember Camelot or his destiny; until Merlin's memories returned Camelot would be lacking its greatest protector. Gaius needed to fix Merlin quickly or the reign of the Once and Future King might be over before it had even begun.

Just then a low moan caught Gaius' attention and he rushed over to the bed in time to see Merlin blinking his eyes open.

"Hello Merlin. I'm Gaius, the court physician. It's good to see you're awake again." Gaius said softly, careful not to startle the boy.

Craning his neck Merlin looked around with apprehension before replying, "Where am I?"

"You're in Camelot, my boy."

"Camelot?" Merlin said, bewildered, "But I can't be, that's a three day journey!"

"Perhaps it's best to start with the last thing you can remember." Gaius suggested.

"Okay" Merlin hesitated, "I was in the woods with Will, my best friend, we were… racing I think… to the stream and back. I remember falling, I guess I tripped, but when I woke up I was lying on this bed and someone was yelling at me."

"That would be Arthur," Gaius clarified with a small smile "the king. You are his manservant."

"But… that's impossible!" Stammered Merlin, "I live in Ealdor with my mum, I've never even been to Camelot before!"

"Three days ago you were attacked and sustained a head injury that I believe is affecting your memory. I know it is confusing and scary but you are going to have to trust me until your memories return, can you do that?"

"I don't have much of a choice, do I?" Merlin asked ruefully.

Gaius shook his head; "No, but maybe this will help; let me tell you a story about a servant, a prince, and a coin. It all started one bright, sunny day when a clumsy, big-eared boy walked into my chambers and changed my life forever…"

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**Pleasepleasepleaseplease review! Reviews motivate me to update faster and I will love you forever if you leave me a comment! :D **


	3. Chapter 3

**Happy Wednesday everyone! Thank you all soooo much for the reviews, follows, and favs they make me so happy! :D This is Merlin, Arthur, and the knight's reaction to his memory loss... please review!**

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Merlin sat on the bed in the small room attached to Gaius' chambers and stared out the window at the streaks of pink and orange decorating the sky. The lower town was coming to life and he watched as people stumbled tiredly from their houses, stretching and calling greetings to friends and neighbors as they began their day. The women were the first to appear, strolling quickly through the streets in the half-light of dawn to draw water for cooking and washing. Later the children burst from the houses, laughing and shouting as they ran through the streets, full of life and energy. Merlin smiled as he watched their antics, but frown lines soon creased his brow as he remembered his conversation with Gaius the night before.

The story that Gaius had told reminded Merlin of a children's tale, the brave hero and his trusty sidekick riding off to face down the evil villain; to be honest, Merlin had a hard time believing that he had truly done any of those things. He had closed his eyes and tried to imagine himself in the numerous situations Gaius had recounted but he couldn't, not even the smallest spark of familiarity flared in his mind. It was odd, having someone share memories of his life and feeling no connection to them whatsoever. How was it even possible for years to completely disappear from his memory?

He clenched his fists in frustration, gasping as a sharp pain radiated up his left arm. He glared at the offending limb, eyes watering, until the pain receded and he was able to breath again. Now that he had emerged from his thoughts his other injuries vied for his attention and he began to regret his decision to decline the potion Gaius had offered the night before. The sharp pain was gone but now his arm was throbbing and every movement, no matter how small, resulted in a new wave of pain that left him breathless. It felt like someone was trying to pound a nail through his skull and the shouts drifting through the window that had amused him moments ago were now excruciating. With each beat of his heart the pain intensified to a dull roar that rushed past his ears and beat against the back of his eyes.

He was trying to work up the energy to swing his legs over the edge of the bed when a soft knock sounded at the door and Gaius entered with a tray. The physician watched Merlin like a hawk as he ate his breakfast, making sure the bowl was completely clean before practically forcing a foul-tasting concoction down the boy's throat. Merlin tried to complain but before he could even open his mouth in protest the world faded out of focus and the pain disappeared into the darkness.

It had been less than one day and it was already killing Arthur that he couldn't see Merlin. He had spent a restless night tossing and turning as scenarios in which Merlin's memory never returned played out in his head. While he might not admit it openly, Merlin was his friend, and he couldn't bear the thought of Merlin returning to his post as a bootlicker, or worse yet, not returning at all. Arthur wouldn't blame him for not wanting to come back; the boy woke after three days of unconsciousness to a stranger yelling about how idiotic he was. Arthur slammed his fist into the table and cursed his own stupidity, would it really kill him to say something nice once in a while? His thoughts were interrupted by a loud knock on his door, which opened to reveal a group of very angry knights.

"Just when were you planning on telling us that Merlin's awake?" Gwaine demanded, pushing past Arthur who was still standing in the doorway.

"Well I…" Arthur stuttered as the rest of the knights filed into his room.

"Yeah, he's our friend too!" cried Elyan.

"Don't you think we deserved to know?" Leon asked.

"I just…" Arthur tried again.

"I can't believe this! I demand an explanation now!" Gwaine said, punctuating his order with a slight raise of his fist.

The rest of the knights nodded in affirmation at Gwaine's statement, crossing their arms and muttering amongst themselves; even Percival, who had yet to speak, was staring expectantly at Arthur, tapping his foot against the ground in impatience.

Collecting himself Arthur held up his hands and the knights fell silent. "There is a very good reason for…"

"There had better be a good reason, Gaius won't even let us visit Merlin!" Gwaine cried, unable to stay silent for more than a few seconds.

"If you would just…" Arthur began again but he no longer held the attention of his knights. Gwaine, Elyan, and Leon were arguing, voices escalating as each one struggled to be heard over the others; Percival was listening to the conversation, occasionally adding a comment but his decidedly softer voice was lost in the confusion.

Staring at the group of his best knights squabbling like children Arthur drew himself up to his full height and bellowed "SILENCE!" at the top of his lungs. The bickering stopped immediately as the knights turned to stare in amazement at their king.

"If you would _shut up_ long enough to listen to what I have to say then I'm sure I could answer your questions but if Sir Gwaine can't hold his tongue long enough for an explanation maybe he should wait in the hall."

Gwaine bowed his head, cheeks flushing slightly in shame, before replying, "I'm perfectly capable of listening _Sire_."

"The reason you weren't notified immediately is because there were… complications with one of his injuries."

"What do you mean complic—" Gwaine burst out before remembering his promise to stay silent. He swallowed the rest of the sentence with difficulty before nodding at Arthur to continue.

"Merlin's head injury was quite severe and he appears to have lost some of his memory. Gaius is working with him but we're unsure when it will return, if ever. He doesn't currently remember Camelot, not anything he's done here or anyone he's met." Arthur said, staring at each of the knights in turn to make sure they understood the implications of this statement.

"Gaius and I decided it was best to let Merlin decided when he wants to see everyone rather than bombard him with a bunch of strangers that claim to be his friends so I expect you to stay away until you are invited in. Do I make myself clear?"

The knights stood in stunned silence for a minute before replying affirmatively. Percival took the news stoically as always, the clench of his jaw and the slight downward turn of his lips the only physical indication of his concern for the servant they had all come to like and respect. The other three knights appeared to be dazed, shaking their heads in denial even as their shoulders slumped forward in despair. Gwaine took the news the worst, stumbling backwards until he hit the wall, as if Arthur's words had been a physical blow while Elyan and Leon stood still, feet frozen in place with shock.

"He doesn't remember… _anything_?" Gwaine asked, voice taking on a pleading note towards the end, begging Arthur to deny the truth of his statement.

Arthur shook his head, slowly sinking into the chair behind him and dropping his head to his hands. "I don't know what to do." He finally admitted in a small voice.

If the knights were shocked at Arthur's show of vulnerability they hid it well; Merlin had become an important piece in all of their lives since he'd come to Camelot and everyone in the room was having a hard time coping with the fact that he didn't remember _any_ of it.

Percival walked to the center of the room, staring into the faces of the men around him before speaking with cool conviction, "Well that's obvious isn't it? We find the bastards who did this and make them pay!"

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**We'll see Merlin's memory start to return and find out who attacked him in the next chapter... any guesses? Please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Wow, this one was hard to write! I want to thank everyone who reviewed, especially Mika271170 who has commented on every chapter! *loud clapping and cheering* School starts again on Tuesday so updates might be a little slower but I'll never make you wait longer than a week. I bought my textbooks yesterday... sixteen books just for this semester, that's ridiculous! But you don't want to read about my life so without further ado... the story!**

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The next few weeks passed quite uneventfully; despite Arthur and the knights' best efforts Merlin's attacker was still at large and they were no closer to discovering his identity than they had been in the beginning. All of Merlin's physical injuries, with the exception of his arm which was in a sling, had healed but his memories still eluded his grasp. He'd spent countless hours scouring his mind for the missing pieces to no avail; there were times when they felt close enough to touch but when he stretched out to claim them they flitted away, lingering just beyond his reach, taunting him.

Eventually growing frustrated with the constant internal struggle Merlin stopped chasing his memories and decided to concentrate on making new ones instead. So it was that as the sun crested the horizon one morning Merlin found himself walking through the castle with Arthur's breakfast tray. He had asked one of the kitchen maids to give him directions to Arthur's chambers but he hardly needed them; it seemed that the route was ingrained in his mind and, even though he couldn't remember taking it before, he knew instinctively where to go.

Pausing outside the large wooden doors, Merlin swallowed his anxiety and knocked sharply.

"Enter" came the faint reply.

Sucking in a breath for courage Merlin opened the doors and entered the room. Arthur was behind his changing screen so Merlin set the breakfast tray on the table and waited, fidgeting nervously, for the king to emerge. He bit his lip to hold back a smile as a loud thump followed by several muffled curses drifted from behind the screen but when Arthur appeared he couldn't help laughing. The king's shirt was backwards and the laces on his trousers were tangled in a hopeless knot.

"Good grief!" Merlin cried, anxiety dissipating as he snickered, "I've lost part of my mind and I can still dress myself better than you!"

"Merlin?" Arthur asked looking dazed, "What are you doing here?"

Merlin sobered instantly, eyes filling with uncertainty as they darted around the room, looking anywhere and everywhere except at the king. "I thought…" he began as a flush crept its way up his neck, painting his cheeks a bright red. "Never mind, I'll be going now, Sire." He finished awkwardly with a slight bow before making a beeline for the door.

"Wait! Merlin!" Arthur called.

The servant paused with his hand on the door handle, waiting for Arthur's next words.

"I didn't mean it like that. It's just… I thought you weren't coming back, it's been weeks."

Merlin nodded, slowly walking back towards Arthur, "Was there anything else you needed, My Lord?" he asked, staring at his shoes.

"Merlin," Arthur scolded, "if I wanted a bootlicker I would have fired you a long time ago; the reason I kept you on was because I wanted to be around someone who treats me like a normal person. That's enough of the titles, just call me Arthur."

Merlin nodded again, refusing to meet Arthur's gaze and the king sighed, he just wanted the old Merlin back but from the looks of things that might take a while so, in the meantime, he was going to have to be patient.

"You're here to work, right?" the king asked with a slight gleam in his eye, "Well you can start by cleaning my room, unless you've forgotten how…"

"I _know_ how to clean a room, it's not like I was born _yesterday_." Merlin huffed under his breath.

Arthur smiled in success; while the response wasn't nearly as loud or indignant as usual, it was definitely a start.

Later that morning, after helping the king put his shirt on properly, Merlin accompanied Arthur to the practice fields; he sat on a crate in the shade and watched as Arthur drilled the knights. The sound of clashing swords and the glint of armor in the sunlight gave Merlin that same feeling of déjà vu that he'd been having all week but he pushed it aside, focusing instead on the present. He raised his eyebrows in appreciation as Arthur lined the knights up and fought them one after the other, never allowing a single blow to come within a foot of his body; Gaius hadn't been lying when he'd said that Arthur was the best swordsman in all of Camelot, if not Albion as a whole.

Merlin studied Arthur, trailing a few paces behind as they left the field; the king had to be tired, his face was flushed with exertion and his blonde hair was soaked with sweat, but he gave no indication of weakness as he strolled gracefully across the grounds. Merlin, on the other hand, was struggling to keep up without tripping or dropping the shield Arthur had given him to carry.

Arthur entered the armory first, peeling off his gloves and tossing them onto the table before reaching back to wrestle with the straps on his armor. After a few minutes Arthur gave in to his annoyance.

"_Mer_lin, you're supposed to be help—"

**CLANG!**

Arthur spun around quickly as the sound of crashing metal filled the room, taking in the scene before him. He was about to scold Merlin for denting the shield when the boy's fast panicked breaths caught his attention. Merlin was staring fixedly at the table in the middle of the room; unable to hide the pain and fear he was feeling from Arthur's searching gaze.

"Merlin?" Arthur asked tentatively, "Are you okay?"

But Merlin didn't hear the king, it was all he could do to remain standing as the memories he's been chasing for weeks came rushing back, washing over him like a tidal wave.

_Merlin wanted to retrieve the gloves and get back to the training field as fast as possible, preferably before Arthur had a reason to yell at him for taking too long. He picked up the gloves and turned to leave but found the doorway blocked by a large, rough-looking man._

_"Can I help you?" Merlin asked, trying to keep the annoyance out of his tone._

_Instead of answering the man lashed out with his fist, catching Merlin in the chest. The air rushed out of Merlin's lungs as he sank to his knees on the floor, trying to regain his breath. The man wound up to strike again and Merlin put his arms up, trying desperately to protect his head. A loud crack sounded as the man's fist made contact with Merlin's upraised arms and the servant cried out in pain, staring in shock at his left forearm that now hung at an unnatural angle. Before he had a chance to react further another fist had connected with the side of his head and he spun around from the force of the blow, struggling to keep the dark spots swarming his vision at bay. _

_"This will teach you to mess with my Queen!" the man snarled._

_Merlin tried half-heartedly to push himself up but suddenly a booted foot connected with his lower back and he sprawled across the floor of the armory, head hitting one of the table legs with a sickening crunch. Blinding pain exploded in his temple, radiating outward until his whole body was consumed and he allowed himself to fade into the blackness. _

Merlin sank to his knees, holding his head as he tried to control the overwhelming rush of memories that were flooding his brain. After a few moments Merlin realized that Arthur was speaking.

"…okay? Merlin! Answer me!"

"Arthur," Merlin breathed, recognition lighting his clear blue eyes, "it was Sir Edric."

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**I wasn't completely happy with this chapter so... how bad was it? BE HONEST!**


	5. Chapter 5

**I can't believe it's the weekend already! I know I promised some of you Sir Edric's story in this chapter but it will have to wait for the next one because I got carried away with the dialogue... anyway I'll try to get another chapter up this weekend, maybe Sunday night? or Monday if I can't do that. It's a little shorter than the other chapters but I hope you like it! Happy Reading :D**

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_"Arthur," Merlin breathed, recognition lighting his clear blue eyes, "it was Sir Edric."_

"What was Sir Edric? I fail to see how this is in any way relevant—"

"It was Sir Edric" Merlin repeated with more conviction, "who attacked me."

It took a moment for Merlin's words to sink in but as they did hope flared through Arthur's body. "So… you remember?" Arthur asked, holding his breath as he waited for Merlin's answer.

"Yeah, I remember Camelot, the attack, and…" Here Merlin ducked his head to hide a smile, "what an insufferable prat you are."

"Well," Arthur sputtered, "at least _I'm_ not idiotic enough to get attacked while running an errand."

"You wouldn't know" Merlin replied, raising his eyebrow, "because _you're_ too lazy to run your own errands; you always send _me_ to do them for you."

"_I'm_ lazy?! _You're_ the one who can't show up on time to save your life. My breakfast hasn't been on time in years because _you're _too busy getting your beauty sleep to fetch it!"

"Yeah? Well—"

"Merlin!"

"Shut up?"

"Exactly, now let's go find Sir Edric." Arthur said, dragging Merlin up by his good arm.

"No Arthur!" Merlin cried, resisting as the king tried to pull him through the door. "You're king now, you can't make decisions based on your emotions. I'm not going to let you do anything until at least tomorrow, you need to sleep on it."

"You're not going to _let_ me, Merlin?" Arthur asked incredulously, "I'm your king, you can't tell me what to do!"

"I'm not telling you as my king, I'm telling as my _friend_."

The fight left Arthur's eyes as he stared at Merlin, who was still tugging futilely against Arthur's iron grip. "Fine! But I am going to deal with this first thing tomorrow Merlin and nothing you say will stop me."

The next morning the rage that had coursed through Arthur's veins the day before had calmed to a much less dangerous anger that simmered below the surface, hidden to all but those who knew him best. He got ready for the day without Merlin's assistance and marched down to the throne room, wearing his crown and fully garbed in his most regal attire. He summoned the entire court and had Sir Edric brought before him.

"It has come to my attention that you were responsible for the recent attack on my manservant, what have you to say for yourself?" Arthur asked, staring down his nose at the knight.

"That meddlesome fool deserved every bit of what I gave him and more after what he did to my queen, pity he didn't die after all!" Sir Edric sneered, glaring ferociously at Merlin who was standing slightly behind Arthur.

A gasp rose from the court at Sir Edric's statement and the anger that Arthur had hidden beneath his authoritative façade leaped to the surface. "Be very carful how you address my servant, Sir Edric," Arthur warned, "threats to his well-being will be treated as a personal affront to the royal house."

Arthur held the knight's defiant gaze until Sir Edric finally bowed his head in deference. "Furthermore, you've sworn lifelong allegiance to this state and, more importantly, to _me_; since Queen Guinevere would never condone such behavior I'm sure we're all interested to know the identity of the one you claim to serve."

At the mention of the queen Sir Edric raised his eyes, a slight smirk lifting the corner of his mouth. "I serve the rightful heir to the throne of Camelot, your half-sister, Morgana Pendragon!"

Arthur clenched his fists and started to step forward but Merlin's gentle hand on his shoulder reminded him of the audience. Biting his cheek hard enough to make it bleed Arthur took a few deep breaths through his nose to calm himself.

"Guards!" Arthur called, "Take Sir Edric to the dungeons to await my judgment, this hearing is over."

Spinning on his heel Arthur stormed from the room, motioning Merlin to follow as members of the court leapt out of the path of their angry king. Once they reached Arthur's chambers the king slammed the door with enough force to bring a shower of dust down from the ceiling.

"I don't understand it! Sir Edric has been a loyal knight for years, he's never acted inappropriately before and a few months ago he despised Morgana as much as the rest of us! How could something like this happen without my knowledge? I've spent hours upon hours training with him and I've never seen this side of him before… am I really that clueless? It just doesn't make any sense!"

Merlin waited for Arthur to finish ranting before responding hesitantly, "Well… if Morgana had anything to do with it, it is most likely more complicated than it seems."

"It's already complicated! It's bad enough that he attacked you in the first place but then he admitted that he wanted you dead and claimed allegiance to my greatest enemy! I can't really see how it could get anymore complicated you moron!" Arthur replied, throwing his hands up in the air.

"It might be nothing but… did you notice his eyes? They were kind of glazed over like he wasn't focusing on anything."

"Oh yes Merlin, of course I noticed his eyes." Arthur shot back sarcastically, "It's not like I had more important things to do like, I don't know, maybe conduct a trial?"

"I'd have to ask Gaius" Merlin mused, choosing to ignore Arthur's comment, "but it would make sense. The abnormal behavior, unfocused eyes, violent tendencies…" Deciding to act on his hunch Merlin left the room, still muttering under his breath.

"Merlin? Merlin! Where do you think you're going?" Arthur called after his manservant but Merlin was too lost in thought to hear him. Huffing in annoyance Arthur followed the boy to Gaius' chambers.

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**So I know, not really the best end to the chapter but I wanted to get something up tonight for everyone who so patiently waited almost an entire week to read it. Thank you in advance for all the reviews you're going to give me *hint,hint* ;)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Plot twist in this chapter, hope you enjoy it!**

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"Gaius!" Merlin called as he entered the physician's chambers. "Where are you? I have to ask you something."

"Over here Merlin." Gaius replied from behind a mountain of books, "I've forgotten how much burdock root to add to this tea and I can't find the recipe anywhere!"

Disappearing behind the stack of books Merlin lowered his voice "I think Sir Edric's enchanted."

Gaius looked up sharply "Merlin, are you certain?"

Merlin nodded his head, "I want you to go examine him before Arthur does something he'll regret. Sir Edric has no reason to switch loyalties, he's served Arthur faithfully for years, and his behavior these past weeks has been inconsistent."

"Alright, I'll go take a look." Gaius said, grabbing his bag "You wait here."

Gaius passed Arthur on his way to the dungeons. The king had been stopped by no less than three people in his attempt to follow Merlin and he had to admit, sometimes being king was a real pain. When he finally reached his destination Arthur found Merlin trying to read several of the open books on Gaius workbench at once.

"What the hell has gotten into you Merlin?" the king asked, more than a little annoyed about being kept in the dark.

"We should probably wait for Gaius to come back." Merlin replied distractedly, still skimming the books in front of him.

Arthur crossed to Merlin's seat in three long strides and shoved the books off the table. "I'm tired of being avoided Merlin, I want answers now!"

"Fine!" Merlin said, "I think Morgana enchanted Sir Edric and I don't want you to punish him for what he's done if he wasn't in his right mind when he did it!"

Arthur was a little taken aback by the heat in Merlin's answer. "You don't want him punished for attacking you?"

"Not if it was Morgana's fault! Punishing _him_ won't fix anything and besides, I forgave him a long time ago."

Arthur stared at his servant in shock; amazed at the caliber of wisdom in his servant's words. He opened his mouth to reply but was cut off when Gaius reentered the room.

"Well?" Merlin asked, turning to the physician.

"I believe you're right Merlin," Gaius began, "Sir Edric appears to be under a very powerful enchantment called the coupling curse."

"What does it do?" Arthur asked, pacing the length of the room as he took in the information.

Gaius picked up one of the books from the floor where Arthur had thrown them and flipped through it. "It says here that only a very powerful magic user can invoke this curse. It consumes the mind of the victim, forcing their will to submit, and places them under the complete control of the caster."

"So you mean to tell me that _Morgana_ has been controlling one of my knights like a puppet and no one noticed? This is a matter of grave importance, if I cannot trust my knights, those who have _sworn allegiance_ to me, then how am I to run a kingdom? This is outrageous! I can't believe…"

Merlin, ignoring Arthur's diatribe, turned to Gaius, "Is there a way to break the enchantment?"

Gaius ran his finger down the page, "The only way to break a coupling curse is… to kill the caster."

"You're joking!" Arthur burst out, "Sure, all you have to do is kill Morgana, no big deal, it's not like she's got magic or anything! And just how do you suggest we do that, hmmm? Then there's the small problem that no one's even _seen_ her since the last time she attacked Camelot and we've been unsuccessful in _every_ search we've conducted! Great! Just bloody perfect!"

"Gaius," Merlin whispered as they watched Arthur stomp around the room, gesturing wildly in frustration, "what are we going to do?"

"I don't know Merlin, I just don't know."

That afternoon Arthur gathered the court again to conclude the trial. "Once again magic has struck at the very heart of Camelot. Sir Edric" he said, pointing at the man standing before him, "one of our own, has been enchanted by the witch Morgana; she has stolen his will and enslaved him to her bidding."

At Arthur's words the throne room erupted into chaos. Women screamed in fear and men demanded answers, cries layering one on top of the other until nothing was intelligible in the din.

"SILENCE!" Arthur bellowed, his voice cutting through the confusion like a knife through butter. Within seconds the room was so quiet it seemed as if everyone was holding their breath.

"Morgana must be stopped." Arthur declared, sweeping the court with his fiery gaze; then turning to his knights he asked, "Will we stand for this? Too long we have sat idly by while Morgana has striven to destroy all we have worked so hard to build. The only way to restore Sir Edric to his rightful state is to kill Morgana, and that is exactly what I intend to do. Who will join me? I will find her if I have to search to the ends of the earth; this time she has gone too far and there is nowhere that she can hide from my wrath."

Suddenly the large wooden doors to the throne room burst open and all eyes were drawn to the small, cloaked figure walking slowly towards the king.

"You always did have a flare for the dramatics Arthur." She drawled, clapping sarcastically.

"Show yourself!" Arthur commanded, drawing his sword.

"Mind your manners Arthur, is that any way to speak to a guest?" she inquired, drawing back her hood to reveal glittering green eyes and dark hair.

"Morgana!" Arthur shouted, narrowing his eyes and leveling his sword.

"Surprised to see me?"

"Guards! Seize her!"

"Not so fast Arthur," Morgana trilled. She snapped her fingers and a shimmering blue wall appeared, separating Merlin, Sir Edric, Arthur, and Morgana from the rest of the court. "we have a lot of catching up to do."

The knights attacked the wall ferociously, trying to get through to their king, but it refused to give under the weight of their blows.

"Did you like my present?" Morgana asked, motioning to Sir Edric. "One of my more genius ideas, pity he couldn't even complete the one simple task I gave him. Perhaps I'll give him a second chance."

"I don't know what kind of game you think you're playing Morgana but you can't win. I have given you chance after chance in memory of the friendship we once shared but no more. I've had enough of your plots and your lies, I will not hesitate to kill you this time."

"So brave," Morgana crooned, "it's a shame you'll die before you get the chance." She then turned to address Sir Edric, "Kill him."

"Your wish is my command." Sir Edric replied bowing low before picking up the sword Morgana had conjured for him and advancing on the king.

"No!" Merlin shouted struggling against the invisible force that was restraining him, "You can't kill Arthur! Stop!"

"And you," Morgana snarled, advancing on Merlin, "I should have known better than to entrust your death to anyone else, I will not make that mistake again."

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**I know, another cliffhanger... but they're so fun to write! Did you like it? Yes, no, maybe so? Please let me know what you think!**


	7. Chapter 7

**So it turns out that writing fan fiction is a great way to procrastinate on homework! Anyway special thanks to Emrys is Merlin for helping me decide who the hero of this chapter would be ;) I quite like this chapter... hope you enjoy it as much as I do!**

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It took all of three moves for Arthur to disarm Sir Edric. Years of sparring on the practice fields had left the king with an intimate knowledge of every weakness his men possessed and he used that to his advantage. The knight's weapon went spinning across the floor as Arthur forced him to his knees, pressing the tip of his sword against Sir Edric's chest.

"Did you really think he was a match for _me_, Morgana?" Arthur asked, startling the witch out of her intense scrutiny of Merlin. She had been running him over with her calculating gaze, deciding on the best way to kill him. She had spent so long dreaming of this and imagined so many situations in which she finally ended the boy's life that it was hard to choose, now that the day was finally here.

A look of annoyance crossed her face as she turned to look at Arthur and her puppet, who was not killing the king, as she had ordered, but rather kneeling at his feet. "You incompetent fool!" Morgana cried, "You have failed me for the last time, I have no further use for you."

The triumph on the king's face melted into disbelief, sorrow, and finally fury as Sir Edric grabbed the blade of Arthur's sword with both hands, heedless of the way it sliced at his palms, and plunged it emotionlessly into his chest.

"No!" Arthur shouted, dropping to his knees in the pool of blood spreading from beneath the fallen man-at-arms, but it was too late; Sir Edric's aim had been true and the blade had pierced his heart.

Morgana glanced from the distracted king to Merlin and back again. "Why don't we save the best for last?" Morgana chuckled, striding across the dais towards Arthur, "I'm going to enjoy watching you suffer while I kill your king, Merlin."

Jumping to his feet Arthur pulled the sword out of Sir Edric's chest and took a defensive stance. "Why don't you face me honorably, Morgana? You hide behind your magic because you're a coward! I challenge you to single combat; if I win you must leave Camelot and never return, if you win you may do with me as you wish."

"You're in no position to bargain with me Arthur," Morgana said with contempt, "but I will humor you in this, I do enjoy playing with my food before I eat it. I must warn you I have no intention of losing, magic is as much my weapon as a sword is yours and I _will_ use it to my advantage." She drew her sword from beneath the folds of her cloak, circling the king hungrily as the court watched in silence, Morgana's wall leaving them powerless to help in any way.

A soon as Morgana turned her attention to Arthur, Merlin began attacking his bonds with magic. Everyone was completely engrossed in the duel and he was able to work in relative secrecy, his whispered words lost in the clash of steel on steel and golden eyes concealed beneath lowered lids.

His first few attempts were ineffectual and he wondered vaguely if he would be able to escape, but he needn't have worried, he wasn't the most powerful sorcerer to walk the face of the earth for nothing. The bonds released him quite suddenly after a lengthy litany of spells and he barely managed to stop himself from pitching forward onto the floor.

He crept to the wall where Sir Edric's sword had landed and picked it up, the unfamiliar weight throwing off his balance and making him clumsier than usual. He would have preferred to use magic, of course, but he couldn't afford to reveal his secret in front of the entire court so he would have to rely on more conventional means. There was a chance, however slim, that Arthur would be able to win this on his own, and he wouldn't require Merlin's help at all, so the warlock stayed out of the way, close enough to jump in if need be.

Arthur and Morgana were fairly well matched; what Morgana lacked in physical strength she made up for with speed and agility, darting in and out of reach as she skillfully avoided Arthur's blows. They had trained together as children, until Morgana came of age and Uther deemed it improper for her to continue. She had, quite predictably, resumed practice the next day, sparring in secret and cursing the day she was born a girl. Needless to say that if Arthur was the best swordsman in Camelot, Morgana was a close second.

Merlin watched the duel with a critical eye; Morgana was tiring quickly, Arthur had much more stamina than she did and her movements were beginning to slow. Eventually Arthur was able to slip past her defenses and land a blow, opening a shallow cut across her forearm; crying out in pain and rage Morgana's eyes glowed gold and Arthur flew back, hitting the wall with a crunch.

Merlin bit back his cry of alarm, not wanting to alert Morgana to the fact that he had escaped her bonds, and crouched down behind the throne, as close to Arthur as he could get without being seen. Arthur had managed to get to his feet but was swaying dangerously and Merlin was ready to act at a moment's notice.

Arthur had allowed himself to believe he had a chance. He thought that if he acted quickly enough he might be able to defeat his sister and end her war on Camelot for good. That it was somehow possible to protect his kingdom and escape unscathed. But the moment he saw Morgana's glowing eyes and felt his feet leave the floor he knew that all hope was lost. She had been toying with him the entire time, able to kill him with a single word. He had no defense against magic and there was no one to help him this time, he was on his own.

He hit the wall and slid to the floor, legs collapsing under the weight of his body. Black spots were swarming his vision but he blinked rapidly, trying to clear them; to lose consciousness would be to admit defeat and he would never stop fighting for his people. He shoved himself to his feet, leaning heavily against the wall to steady his spinning head; his vision was swimming in and out of focus and he couldn't for the life of him figure out which of the Morganas striding towards him was real. He closed his eyes to get his bearings and heard the telltale whoosh of a sword close to his ear. Acting purely on instinct he managed to throw his blade up in time to defend himself.

His vision was clearer the second time he opened his eyes but he knew he wouldn't be able to last long against the witch in this state. Morgana was relentless, she battered the king's weakened defenses until his sword dropped from his hand, hitting the ground with a hollow clang.

Arthur drew himself up proudly, holding his former friend's gaze as he prepared for the blow that would end his life, but it never came. Instead the look of triumph in Morgana's eyes was replaced with one of pain and she dropped her hand to her waist, gasping in disbelief when it came away red with blood. Confused, Arthur glanced down at the sword embedded in Morgana's side; jaw dropping as he caught sight of his servant's trembling hands clenched around the hilt.

"Merlin?" Arthur asked uncertainly.

"I… I just couldn't let her kill you."

"Thank you."

Recovering from the shock of her injury, Morgana started to chant, hair flying wildly as she stirred the air around her, molding and shaping it to her will. "This is not the end, one day Camelot will be _mine_ and when that happens you will rue the day you were born!" she screamed before muttering a final word and sending her whirlwind careening across the throne room, destroying everything in its path.

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**Did you like it? Please review, it's not hard, just type a few words in that little box and push the button!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Alright guys so this is it, last chapter. I have no idea where all the angst came from... I was in a pretty good mood when I wrote it but apparently my imagination was depressed, idk but I hope you like it anyway!**

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By the time the whirlwind dissipated Morgana was nowhere to be seen; she had used the confusion to escape from the castle. The throne room was in complete disarray; hangings had been torn from the walls and the ground was littered with debris. The people began to get up, from where they had crouched on the floor to protect themselves from the wind, murmuring excitedly about what they had seen. Only the king and his servant were unaffected by the turmoil around them.

Arthur was still in shock, trying to process everything that had happened, but he managed to bark out a command, ordering the knights to search the castle for any sign of the witch, before sliding down the wall to sit on the floor.

He had been sure he was going to die; Morgana's sword was raised for the kill and no one could break through her magical barriers. He was utterly helpless before her and that scared him more than he wanted to admit. Then, out of nowhere, Merlin had stabbed Morgana with that sword; how was that even possible? This was _Mer_lin, he didn't stab people; he could hardly even carry a sword without dropping it! How did he manage to escape Morgana's magic _and_ injure her enough to foil her plan?

Merlin hadn't thought it would be so hard, the plan was simple enough: use the sword to stop Morgana, but that was easier said than done. He hated using conventional weapons, they were so… _personal_. With his magic he would have simply opened a crack in the earth and command it to swallow Morgana whole; he wouldn't have had to see her flesh and sinew give way beneath the bite of his blade, wouldn't have had to hear the small gasp of pain and feel the wet splatter of her blood on his hands as it erupted from the wound.

Swords were crude and messy; there were so many better, more efficient ways to kill using magic, ways that didn't involve forcing a sharpened blade through skin. He shivered at the thought and stared down at his trembling hands in disgust, willing them to stop shaking. He didn't want to look weak in front of Arthur but his hands felt dirty and he couldn't ignore the fact that they were red with Morgana's blood. He had a sudden urge to clean them, get rid of the evidence, so he stripped off his neckerchief and began to scrub at his hands, wiping them obsessively to remove the blood. It didn't work; it was still there, bright splashes of crimson marring his pale skin as it dried in the cracks of his palms and under his fingernails.

Becoming hysterical in his frustration he renewed his efforts, rubbing his palms raw in an attempt to wipe the memory not only from his skin but also from his mind. His breathing started to quicken and he blinked back the hot tears that flooded his eyes, threatening to overflow. It was his fault, all his fault and he had done it again, tried to kill her. No wonder she hated him, he hated himself for what he had done to her all those years ago; lied to her, convinced her to drink poison, but to what end? Sure he had succeeded, he had saved Camelot, but in doing so he had been willing to let her die, sacrifice his friend for the greater good. It had been that event that turned Morgana away, awakened an unquenchable thirst for revenge in her, and he couldn't live with the fact that it was his fault, and his alone, that she was beyond redemption.

He pushed the thoughts away, trying to force them back into their box, the one he hid in the deepest recesses of his mind, but they roared in protest, breaking free of his grasp. They raged about his mind, unleashing all of the memories he had so carefully tucked away, memories of his failures and the people who had died for him, for his destiny. He hunched over, unable to stand under the crushing weight of his guilt as faces flashed through his mind: Will, Lancelot, his father, everyone that had sacrificed so much for him, and finally, he let the tears fall.

After wasting a few minutes trying to puzzle out an explanation for Morgana's defeat Arthur decided to chalk it up to luck, like so many of his other narrow escapes. Having appeased his curiosity he glanced around the room, taking in the damage and quickly assessing the state of his people. No one appeared to be seriously injured and most of the court was already going about their business as if nothing unusual had happened. Arthur bent down to pick up his sword, reassuring himself once again that his people were safe and that the danger was past.

As he turned to leave the throne room a flash of red caught the corner of his eye and he stopped, staring at the scene before him. Merlin, the infernally optimistic servant, was _crying_. Not normal crying either but _sobbing_. He was bent nearly double, bracing himself against his knees as his chest heaved, fat tears leaking from below his closed lids and streaming down his cheeks, splattering on the stones below like rain. Arthur approached cautiously; he had never been very comfortable around tears, or any emotion at all for that matter. He stretched out his arm, stopping when his hand hovered a few inches above Merlin's shoulder, trying to decide on a course of action. Before he could make his decision Merlin began to mutter under his breath and Arthur leaned closer to make out the words.

"It's my fault, all my fault, I did this…"

Brow crinkling with concern Arthur lowered his hand the rest of the way and squeezed the boy's shoulder. Merlin flinched at the contact, eyes flying open in alarm.

"What's your fault Merlin?" Arthur asked, "You saved me, and not _just_ me but all of Camelot, that is something to be proud of."

Merlin shook his head, "No Arthur! You don't understand! It's my fault Morgana's evil, it's my fault she even came here in the first place!"

"What are you on about Merlin? How could it be your fault? She wants the throne and the only way to get it is to kill me, if anyone is to blame for her appearance it's me."

"But I could have stopped it, could have stopped her from changing, I could have _saved_ her!"

"We all wish it was different Merlin," Arthur sympathized, "she was our friend but no one could have known what she would become and no one could have saved her, by the time we discovered her treachery she was too far gone."

"_I_ knew Arthur, you have no _idea_ how powerful I am… I thought I was doing the right thing at the time and now, because of _me_, our once-friend has become Camelot's greatest enemy!"

"Right," Arthur replied with a calculating glance in Merlin's direction, "it's obvious that you're not in your right mind, let's get you to bed."

Arthur pulled Merlin to his feet and marched down the corridors to Gaius' chambers, dragging the protesting servant behind him the entire way. When they reached Merlin's small room Arthur shoved the servant onto the bed, holding him down until he stopped struggling.

"You need to rest Merlin, trust me, you'll feel much better in the morning. Now close your eyes and go to sleep, that's an order!"

Merlin tossed and turned for hours before he finally fell into a fitful sleep fraught with nightmares in which Morgana killed him, Arthur, or both of them. When he finally woke, panting heavily and soaked in sweat he vowed that the next time he saw Morgana would be the last; this time he would do what the dragon had said and kill her before she had the chance to kill Arthur.

Across the castle the king was making a similar vow; Camelot would never be at peace as long as Morgana lived and Arthur was no longer content to sit in his castle, waiting for the next attack. He was tired of playing defense; it was time to go on the offensive, he would find the witch and he would kill her if it was the last thing he did.

~fin

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**Yes, I am aware that is not the greatest ending in the world but I could be persuaded to write a sequel if there's enough interest and you guys give me some ideas to jumpstart my imagination. Please review and tell me what you think. :)**


	9. sequel

**This is the prequel to the sequel, "Contrary to Popular Belief". It's just kind of a bridge to fill in the gaps between where this story ended and the other one begins. I'm also posting this as a new story so be sure to go check it out and follow it if you want to get updates!**

**Special thank you to MaTcHBoOkPoEt who gave me the idea to use Mordred, and also to the guest who asked where Gwen was... I might have forgotten to write her into the story (sorry Gwen) but her absence is explained here.**

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It had been a year, an entire year since Morgana had fled Camelot, gravely injured and enraged over the failure of her plot. A year since Arthur had vowed to find her and a year since Merlin had sworn to kill the witch at their next meeting.

Gwen had been travelling during Morgana's attack and for that Arthur was eternally grateful. As his queen she was an important part of maintaining diplomatic relations with the neighboring kingdoms and she had been over the western border, in Caerleon, when the witch appeared. He'd sent her and two of his most trusted council members to represent Camelot in negotiating the terms of a new trade agreement between the two realms.

In the beginning Arthur had sent out patrols every few days, scouring the kingdom for any sign of Morgana but she was nowhere to be found, it was like she had fallen off the face of the earth. Group after group returned empty handed, with nothing to show for their time away, and eventually Arthur decreased the patrols to once a week and then once a month.

After such a long time the threat of imminent attack had diminished and a sense of stability returned to the castle. The general consensus was that Morgana had either died from the wound Merlin had inflicted or she was still too weak to launch a full-scale invasion of Camelot so the people grew complacent.

Arthur should have known it wouldn't last, should have known the lack of activity foretold great calamity but he wanted to believe that peace had finally come to Camelot after so many years of war and conflict. He ignored the signs because he wanted to be optimistic, wanted to live without constant fear and it was this willful ignorance that would place the future of Albion at risk once again.

...

Morgana wasn't dead, nor was she too weak to attack Camelot; she was simply biding her time, waiting for the moment when she could put her plan into action. She hid, like a spider in the dark, spinning her web thread by careful thread, content to wait for her prey to come to her, to fall unwittingly into her trap. She'd spent the past year perfecting her plan, sifting through the details to root out and meticulously repair every imperfection, one by one, until the plot was foolproof.

There was no way for her plan to fail because she knew now, knew Merlin's little secret, how he'd managed to escape every time he was captured and she had taken precautions, there would be no escape for him this time. He should have been more careful, paid more attention to who he'd offended, because now all his secrecy had been for naught, Morgana knew his secret and by the time she was done with him he would wish he had never been born.

After she had conjured the whirlwind in the throne room Morgana had been close to collapse. Unsure if she would make it out alive she drew her magic to her, pulling it in until the glowing golden orb pulsed deep inside her chest. Using the last of her fading energy she flung herself forward, pushing the magic out to carve a path through time and space; the throne room fell away as a strong wind rushed hollowly past her ears and, as quickly as it had fallen away, the world around her formed again. When her head finally stopped spinning she opened her eyes and saw, not the red and gold of Camelot, but rather, the greens and browns of the forest.

Twirling around with her arms flung out like a child Morgana laughed, not the cynical laugh that normally slid from her throat but lilting musical tones that were reminiscent of a happier time. She had done it! Teleportation was one of the most difficult forms of magic known to man and _she_ had done it! Morgana slumped to the ground tiredly as the blood loss finally caught up with her but the smile didn't leave her face, not even as her vision dimmed and the world faded to black.

...

Mordred loved the woods, it wasn't that they made him happy, he was never happy, but he was fascinated with the complexity and vibrancy of the world beneath the leafy branches of the trees. The air itself seemed to thrum with life and purpose as every animal, down to the smallest ant, carried out its tasks with efficiency. Normally the forest was a peaceful place, ruled by order, where Mordred could escape to be alone, but today was different, something was wrong. The birds took flight, cawing loudly as he approached and small animals darted quickly through the underbrush, eyes wide with fear.

Mordred heightened his senses, scanning the woods around him for anything out of the ordinary; he reached out with his magic, identifying each life form for what it was as he brushed against it. When he finally found the source of the disturbance it wasn't a patrol, or even a hunting party as he'd expected, it was a girl.

The girl was sprawled across the ground, limbs resting at awkward angles like a puppet whose strings had been cut. The foliage below her was stained crimson with blood and her chest barely moved with each shallow breath. Drawing closer, Mordred started as he realized it was Morgana, the girl that had helped him escape from Camelot all those years ago. Her hair was fanned out behind her head, an innocent grin still lighting her pale face with childlike purity that had fled from her conscious being long ago.

Dropping to his knees beside her prone form Mordred ran his hand over the wound, lips moving soundlessly as he muttered a spell. His eyes glowed in the gathering twilight and the blood reversed directions, flowing back into the gash; soon after her skin began to crawl, writhing as it knitted itself back together until all that remained was a faint white line.

Mordred sat back, wrinkling his brow in concern as he waited for her to wake up. When he had been trapped in Camelot, hidden in Morgana's chambers, he had developed a special bond with her, one that was still as strong today as it had been the day it was formed, almost as if destiny had been drawing them together since the beginning of time. He sat up straighter, leaning forward, as Morgana's eyelids fluttered and she began to move her head slowly from side to side, moaning softly.

"Mordred?" she whispered uncertainly, blinking rapidly in an attempt to focus her vision.

_Morgana_, he replied, speaking directly to her mind as a small sigh of relief escaped from his lips, _What happened? Are you okay?_

Her hand flew to her side as she remembered the wound but it didn't come away sticky with blood as she'd expected, sitting up she looked down in confusion at the small scar.

"Did you do this, Mordred?" she asked, running her finger up and down the raised line.

He nodded, ducking his head to hide his embarrassment.

She narrowed her eyes, watching him dig self-consciously at the dirt with a stick. One of his legs was folded under him and he rested his chin on the other, which was pulled protectively against his chest. He had grown since she had last seen him and his magic was much more powerful than she'd imagined if he could heal such a deep wound so cleanly, perhaps she could use the boy's loyalty to her advantage.

Finishing her appraisal she crooked a finger under Mordred's chin, raising it until their eyes met. "I need you to help me with something."

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**Tell me what you think, good start or no? I've written a one-shot on Mordred's past as a companion piece for this story, it's called "Voluntary Silence" so if you're interested go check it out.**


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